Weatherproof folding chair



Feb. 19, 1952 A. C. FOSS WEATHERPROOF' FOLDING CHAIR Filed Sept. 22, 1950 flltmmey Patented Feb. 19, 1952 UNITED 1 STATES PAT EN T OFFICE WEATHERPROOF FOLDING CHAIR Arthur G. Foss, Trenton, N. J. Application September 22, 1950, Serial No.186,195

8 Claims; 1

The? present invention refers to outdoor furniture and" more particularly to a weatherproof folding chair so constructed that when in folded condition it affords self protection against the elements.

An object of the invention is to provide a sturdy, neat appearing, economically constructed andprefe'rably cushioned chair of the character described which is adaptable, primarily as a lawn seat and for us'e'in open air stadiums or the like, the chair being protected from rain and dust by simply lowering the back to its closed position.

Inthe accomplishment of my invention, a chair proper, in which the seat, arms and seat supporting members" may be of any preferred construction and design, is built into a weatherproof housing in which a plurality of hinged top or cover members, when in raised position, comprise a back'for the chair, a further and main object of the invention being the provision of a housing as and for the purpose just above set forth.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination folding chair and housing in which, if desired, the vertical walls of the housing constitute the supporting structure for the seat.

Briefly summarized, the invention consists in providing a weatherproof housing into which a chair having either a folding or a stationary seat can be built, and further providing a closure for the housing comprising a plurality of horizontal- 1y hinged roof sections which, when swung from closed to open position, form a rigid back for the chair.

The accompanying drawings illustrating the invention are asfollows:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the combination chair and housing open, that sideof the housingtoward the observer being removed to moreclearly illustrate structural details.

Fig. 2 is a iront" view ofan open chair such as seen in Fig. -1.-

Fig. -3 is a view similarto Fig. 1 but with the chair folded and the housing closed.

Figs. 4 and 5 are side and front views, respectively, of the combination chair and housing" in folded condition.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing a chair of modified construction.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail of one orthe armsand-associated parts seen in Fig 6, this view beingfrom the right with respect to Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig.1 but'disclosing still another modification of the invention the' land 2 to'form upwardly inclined legs Ill and II views.

Referring first to Figs. 1 through 5, the invention as therein shown includes a box-like housing formed of wood or any weather-resisting sheet material and comprising vertically arranged parallel front'and back walls ;I and 2, respectively, parallel sidewalls '3 and 4, a bottom 5 and a top or cover formed of a plurality, in this instance two, flexibly connected'sections which provide a back for the chair and'gable roof-for'the housing accordingly as the cover is open or closed.

One of'the cover members designated as 6, and hereinafter referred was the inner section, has pivotal connection withthe back wall 2 so as to swing forward and back through a limited angular movement,- such pivotal connection, in this instance, being hinges I secured to the inner face of-section 6 and the outer'face of wall 2 adjacent the top edge of the latter. The hinges are so positioned. that, when section 6 is swung forward, its inner face will bearin sealing engagement with the abutting edge of wall 2. That portion, indicated at 6a, of section 6 depending below the pivotal connection provides an overhanging watershed on the housing when the cover is closed, and an abutment'for engaging wall 2 as a stop when the coveris open. The abutting face of 6a bears suchangular relation tothe upper part of section 6 that this member in open position will have the desired inclination'for the back of a comfortable chair.

The other member 8 of the cover, hereinafter called the outer section, forms the upper portion of the chair back and has pivotal connection,

preferably by hinges 9, with the top or outer edge bisection 6 and swings about a horizontal axis.

Thissectiona also has a depending portion 8a below its pivotal connection which abuts the outer face of section .6 to hold it, when open. in parallel relation to the latter. The: position 8a is offset forwardly to provide a shoulder 8b which, when the cover is closed, forms a watertight seal with the top edge of section 6.

The :side walls 3 and 4 are alike'in peripheral contour with the top edge of each wall extending from the top edges of the front and back walls of an angle formed at their point ofconvergence, the degree of such angle being determined by the relative heights of 'the walls I and 2 and the respective heights of the cover or root sections 6 and a to which the lengths of the legs I and II respectively correspond.

Built into the housing is a chair in which the cover sections 6 and 8 form an inclined back. The chair seat I2, represented in the drawings as being upholstered or otherwise cushioned, is, in this instance, rigidly secured in any suitable manner to the cover section 6 and rests upon the chamfered edge 2a of back wall 2. A pair of front legs I3 are hinged at I4 to the underside of the seat and normally engage a supporting cross bar I5 extending inwardly from the front wall I just above the bottom 5 of the housing. Preferably the engaging end faces the legs I3 and top face of bar I5 are slightly inclined to the rear, as seen at I3a, Fig. 1, thus tending to present accidental displacement of the legs and necessitating a slight upward tilt of the seat to release them. When the chair is collapsed, the legs I3 fold under the seat I2, as in Fig. 3, with their free ends releasably engaged by spring clips I6 attached to the bottom of the seat. The side arms, indicated at H, are rigidly secured to the seat frame and the inner cover section 6. The

back is also shown as upholstered or otherwise cushioned, the cushions for the sections 6 and 8 being indicated at I8 and I9, respectively, these cushion portions being so spaced as not to interfere with each other when the chair is folded.

When collapsing the chair, the legs I3 are folded under the seat I2 and the seat lowered to the position shown in Fig. 3. This causes a forward swing of the combined back member and cover section 6 until it engages the top edge portions In of the side walls 3 and 4. The outer cover section 8 is carried forward with section 6 and in turn is swung downward to engage the edge portions II of the side walls and overlap the top edge of front wall I.

Weatherstripping, such as molding is shown on the side walls 3 and 4 and front wall I of the housing as an added protection against water seepage. Between these walls and the cover, while plates 2I, shown in Figs. 4 and 5, for a like purpose are attached to outer section 8 to cover the ends of the hinged joint between sections 6 and 8. As an alternative, molding 26 could be attached to the edges of sections 6 and 8 instead of side walls 3 and 4 and front wall I for the purpose of Weatherstripping.

From the foregoing it will be readily observed that the folding chair when collapsed is entirely contained within a weatherproof housing and that hinged over sections of the housing also provide a rigid back for the chair. In setting up the chair for use, cover section 8 is first raised to the limit of its independent movement, then both sections 6 and 8 are swung backward on the common axis of hinges I. This movement raises seat I2 and arms I! and permits release of the frontlegs I3 from the clips I6 and their engagement with the supporting bar I5.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 6 and '7 the front and back walls of the housing are indicated by numerals 3i and 32, respectively, one of the side walls at 34, the inner cover section at 36 and the outer section at 38. The hinge connections of the cover sections being the same as in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 are given like reference numerals, viz., l and 9. Hinged front legs are dispensed with, the seat being stationary, independent of cover section 36 and directly supported upon the housing walls 3| and 32.

The'side arms 31, only one of which is shown,

:are carried by inner section 36, suflicient space being allowed between the seat 35 and side walls to permit free movement of the arms which are raised and lowered with corresponding movement of section member 36. As an additional support for the arms 31 when raised, each arm is provided with a post 33 having movable means thereon, such as the rotatable collar 39 which is held against axial movement and provided with a laterally projecting segmental portion 39a adapted to rest upon the frame part 35a of seat 35. The collar 39 is given a partial rotation to disengage the seat when closing the housing.

The modification of the invention as disclosed in Fig. 8 is similar in most respects to that shown and described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, and like parts are given like reference numerals. In this instance, however, the seat, indicated at 42, is free of the inner section 6 and is independently hinged to back wall 2 by hinges 43, the arms 44 also being free of section 6 and secured directly upon the seat by upright pieces 45. Thus the seat is raised and lowered independently of the sections 6 and 8, the folded position of the seat being shown in dotted lines at 42a.

It is to be understood that the illustrated embodiments of the invention have been chosen for the purpose of disclosure, and that various changes in construction and design may be made which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A box-like weatherproof chair housing including front and back walls, side walls, a closure comprising a cover hinged to said back wall and formed of two sections hinged together along adjacent horizontally disposed edges, means on said side walls for maintaining said sections at an angle to each other when the cover is closed, said angle being such that the sections slope downwardly from their joined edges, and means on each of saidsections for abutting the outer face of the supporting member to which it is hinged whereby the said sections are maintained in parallel relation when the cover is raised to or beyond a vertical plane.

2. A housing in accordance with claim 1 but characterized by said means on said side walls for maintaining said sections at an angle to each other being angularly formed top edges on said side walls.

3. A housing in accordance with claim 1 but characterized by said means on each of said sections for abutting the outer face of the supporting member to which it is hinged, being portions of said sections extended beyond the hinge connections to their respective supporting members.

4. An open top chair housing including vertical front walls in spaced parallel relation, sidewalls of greater height than said front and back walls, the upper portion of each side wall forming an angle the sides of which are downwardly inclined from their point of convergence to'the top edges of said front and back walls, and a flexible cover hinged to said back wall, said cover comprising two hinged sections which, when the cover is closed, conform to the angle of said side walls and extend in parallel relation, one above the other, when the cover is raised to or beyond a vertical plane;

5. A housing in accordance with claim 4 but including a seat within the housing, and characterized by said cover sections, when in raised position, forming a back for'said seat. v

6. A housing in accordance with c1aim'4 but including a folding chair built within said housing, and characterized by said cover sections, when in raised position, forming the back of said chair.

7. In combination, a housing including vertical front Walls in spaced parallel relation, side walls of greater height than said front and back walls, the upper portion of each side wall forming an angle the sides of which are downwardly inclined from their point of convergence to the top edges of said front and back walls, and a flexible cover comprising inner and outer sections having a horizontal hinge connection and with said inner section hinged to said back wall, a seat carried by said inner section and adapted to be lowered or raised accordingly as said inner cover section is moved forward or back, front legs hinged to the underside of said seat and adapted to fold under the seat, and a support for said legs when the seat is raised, said inner and outer sections forming a back for said seat when the seat is raised and conforming to the angle of said side walls to provide a closure for the housing when the seat is lowered.

8. A combination according to claim '7 but characterized by said seat and said inner and outer sections being upholstered, and by the upholstery of said section being spaced apart to permit folding of the sections.

ARTHUR C. FOSS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

